Top U.s. Episcopal Priest Quits Amid Sex Scandal

October 07, 1992|By New York Times News Service.

NEW YORK — The highest-ranking Episcopal priest in the nation, who headed a national committee examining the church`s position on sexuality and the priesthood, has resigned following charges that he sexually abused young men in his upstate New York congregation, church officials announced Tuesday.

The allegations surrounding the priest, Rev. Wallace A. Frey, rector of St. David`s Church in the Syracuse suburb of DeWitt, N.Y., are expected to stir uncertainty as the 2.4 million-member Episcopal Church continues to struggle with the issue of ordaining homosexuals, a debate that dominated the denomination`s General Convention last year in Phoenix.

The 56-year-old priest had played a central role in achieving a compromise on the issue at the convention, staving off a resolution that would have declared sexual relations allowable only for married priests.

Frey could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Besides leading the committee studying sexuality, Frey was vice president of the House of Deputies-one of two bodies that set church policy-and was expected to become its next president.

Frey`s resignation in connection with the sex-abuse allegations was announced by the bishop of the Diocese of central New York, David B. Joslin, in a letter Monday to congregants at St. David`s.

``This action was taken after it came to light that he has broken his ordination vows by being involved with sexual misconduct over a lengthy period of time with some male, young adults and a teen-ager under his pastoral care,`` Bishop Joslin continued.

``To my knowledge, the number of persons involved is less than 10,`` the bishop added.

Frey is married and the father of two grown children.

Joslin said the church became aware of the allegations after ``some of the victims . . . set forth a process that got the matter to me and, in the course of my examination of the reports, I got some objective documentation.`` Joslin said that, so far, law-enforcement authorities have not been involved in the case.